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HANÁK OPEN

Approximately in 2005 I started to help Karel Křivanec with organisation of fly-fishing competitions in South Bohemia. I had worked as fisheries manager in the South Bohemian Board of the Czech Fishing Union since 2001 and this function gave me opportunity to help with organisation of fly-fishing events. At first we established lake bank autumnal competition called “Svatováclavský pohár” taking part at Květoňov lake close to Kaplice. The real reason for the origin of this competition was increasing number of fl -fishing competitors in South Bohemia who had to travel for quality lake competitions to other parts of Czech Republic or abroad despite we had an ideal lake backyard.

In November 2005 Franta Hanák returned from Grayling Festival in Wales and we were talking about system of this unique competition in pub. And I said ”why don´t try it in Vyšší Brod?” After few beers we decided to put these two competitions to one weekend in the end of September, Franta agreed to be main sponsor and this was the origin of “Hanák Open”. So the present form of Hanák Open consists of two parts. They both are organised by the South Bohemian Board of the Czech Angling Union in cooperation with local fishing clubs and with Fly-Fishing Club České Budějovice.

The “Svatováclavsky Cup” is an individual lake bank fly-fishing competition established in 2005 and taking place at Květoňov lake on 28th September (which is the Saint Venceslav Day and bank-holiday in the Czech Republic). From 2016 we fish also one sector from anchored boats.

The Theodor Kouba Memorial is a team river fly-fishing competition taking place at Vltava river below Vyssi Brod every last weekend in September since 2006. Every of 40 teams consists from three competitors. In every of the three rounds, two competitors of one team fish in one beat together and the third one is judge of the neighbouring team, they have to rotate in every round. In every of five sectors is eight beats of the length 150 – 200 m. Since 2012, all caught fish are only counted to protect fish and to limit handling during measuring and to avoid displacement of fish during competitions.

The main aim of the organisation of our competitions is to bring together the top competitors and the leisure fly-fishers as well as the home and the foreign fly-fishers to compare their skills and to make new friendships. Every year we invite over 120 competitors including our friends from Belgium, England, Finland, Holland, Italy and Slovakia. The catch statistics also provide the important information about the structure and density of the fish stock in the Vltava river.

Posters, results and pictures from individual year classes you can find below.

Peter Drivers Blog

John Emerson

We cooperate with John Emerson, English international and our great friend, and since summer 2012 you can get also in UK flies tied according to original best patterns of members of our team, look at the John´s website Unique flies.